Wanted
by Bralt
Summary: Based on the song Wanted by Hunter Hayes. Rated T for extreame mush.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters, nor do I own the song Wanted by Hunter Hayes**

**You can blame Pandora for this. One minute I'm rocking out to Jason Aldean and the next thing I know this song comes on and I'm typing. I am warning you now that one person's eyes melted reading this. I don't really like this but ideas are ideas and I made a promise to myself that if I thought something turned out all right I would post it...**

**You know I'd fall apart without you**

Halt looked to his right where Pauline was walking beside him. Her head was hanging a bit low he noticed and he also knew why. A week or so ago her sisters had come to Redmont and as always they had made her feel like she was nothing. Before she had married Halt they had teased her for not having anybody to love her and now after she had married him they teased her that she wasn't good enough for somebody of such status and bravery. It didn't help matters any that she thought herself unworthy of Halt and his bravery anyways. He had wanted to tear them limb from limb at how they had made her feel. She was what helped him through all the rough spots. She was what got him through almost every moment of loneliness when Will had graduated and she was what held him together. Anybody who made her like she was now deserved a few arrows through the head in his opinion because in his mind she was more than he could ever be or even hope to be.

**I don't know how you do what you do**

Halt considered trying to talk her out of what she was feeling right now but he wasn't exactly good with words. He could threaten a person's life pretty easily and effectively but he knew he wouldn't be able to coax her into believing she was his world. He continued his train of thought and found that she was the exact opposite. She had calmed him when he needed to be calmed, had comforted him when he needed to be comforted and had made him feel good when he needed it the most. She didn't need to do anything special like he was doing now to make him feel better. Halt had no clue how she could be so patient with him and help him out with words but she could whereas he was an action man.

**'Cause everything that don't make sense about me**

As they walked through the twists and turns of the castle she kept her head in the same position. He sighed; he had hoped that curiosity would have won out by now and brought her back a little bit but apparently it wasn't. Halt could hardly believe she took what they told her so deeply, it was a weakness and he had thought her to be devoid of them. But now he realized she did have flaws, one being that she couldn't take scorn directed at her love for him, but he also knew that they were all well founded. She hated when people mocked her decision in him but that made sense. Whereas he could think of several million things wrong with him that made no sense. One example was his dislike of people wanting to thank him. He had been told time and time again that if he did something worthy of thanks than he should accept thanks but he always denied it. And time and time again he had been told that his option to decline made no sense.

**Makes sense when I'm with you**

But every time they said that to him he shrugged it off. At least now he did. He used to accept that he was odd and not right. It used to be like that until Pauline came along. She had found reasoning for all of his flaws and inadequate traits. She had given him reasons for why he was like he was and made his flaws seem as if they were perfectly fine. He didn't think it was true and he definitely knew that nobody but her would ever tell him things like that but instead of objecting to her points he had gradually accepted them and let her make him think his pointless behavior had reason.

**Like everything that's green, girl I need you**

He looked at her again and sighed mentally. He had hoped that she would be a little bit better by the time they reached their destination but from the looks of it, that wasn't going to happen. In his mind he calmed himself somewhat by imagining what he had done to her sisters. Promptly after they started mocking her he had grabbed them each by the scruff of the collar and dragged them out of the apartment he shared with Pauline. When he had reached the draw bridge he had tossed them in and walked away; leaving them to try and clamber up the steep sides of the moat. They had deserved the hours of turmoil. He was a Ranger and loved the outdoors. The forest was his home; it was his closest friend and his sanctuary but she meant more to him than that and her sisters had no right to treat her as if she were rubbish.

**But it's more than one and one makes two**

Their matching was more than just two people who loved each other. They were each other's best friend and comforter. Pauline would always be there for him and he most certainly would always be there for her. She was his escape from the hard life of a Ranger. She would help him when nightmares of times long past would come back to haunt him. She would be there never failing whereas some would let their lover go through the darkness alone. He was her protector; he wouldn't even put up with nobles and barons testing her on her missions by avoiding protocol and questioning her credibility. What they had went far beyond what others had.

**Put aside the math and the logic of it/You gotta know you're wanted too**

Halt had never been one to jump straight to the point. He was a Ranger and he was supposed to follow every possibility and every slim chance that something might happen differently. He wasn't supposed to assume anything and he definitely wasn't supposed to avoid logic and hard facts but this was an exception. He knew that Pauline wasn't inadequate and he knew that she was wanted by other men as well. She was wanted by many people and he knew that she didn't care if they wanted her. She just wanted to know that Halt wanted her and her sisters had erased that from her mind. He, however, felt she outta know that he at least couldn't be without her.

**'Cause I wanna wrap you up**

They reached the giant oak doors that led into the ballroom and he stopped. He glanced at her once more and was disappointed to see that her head still hung in the self-depreciating manner. He found himself hoping that this would work because if it didn't then he knew not only would she be acting like this but he would find himself lost and lonely. He knew that if this didn't work he would go back to being that grim man with no spot of color in his life. Almost a replica of what he had been in Hibernia. He led her onto the middle of the dance floor and motioned to somebody in the corner. Will stepped out of the shadows and started to play a romantic tune on his mandola. Halt turned back to Pauline and put his hands around her hips and drew her close. He had never done something so emotional and it felt odd for him but he needed to get her out of the stage she was in and he knew this would mean a lot to her. She kept her head down but she placed her arms around his neck and laid her head against his chest. Halt was pleased to see Will wasn't grinning like a fool but politely turned away from them.

**Wanna kiss your lips**

Halt noticed that she kept her head down as if she wasn't good enough to have him look at her. He stopped swaying with the music and she stopped as well. Will, who couldn't see what was happening, continued to play the slow melody. He picked up one arm from her waist and used it to raise her chin so he was gazing into her eyes. Something in her eyes seemed different however. She didn't look as confident or as proud as she had once been. He kept his hand under her chin so she wouldn't let it drop again. She didn't try to put her head down but Halt knew that if he removed his hand then she would. Before she could do anything to try and degrade herself, Halt leaned his head closer to hers and placed his lips on hers.

**I wanna make you feel wanted**

Halt continued to kiss her and tried to convey all he felt into it. He tried to make her realize she was wanted. She was wanted by him and he beyond loved her. In fact, love was to simple a word. He felt reluctance from her at first and was going to give up but after a minute she returned the kiss and Halt could tell he was winning her back. He leaned back out of the kiss and smiled genuinely at her. He had removed his cowl when they had entered the room and had no doubt that she saw his feelings reflected in his eyes. She was wanted more than anything in his heart but he knew he couldn't convey it all to her and he knew that she was still slipping away somewhat. Though not as fast as before.

**And I wanna call you mine**

He replaced his hand on her waist and felt her head going back to his chest. Despite the fact she still wasn't over it he felt happier than he had in a while. She wasn't out of her gloom but this was the closest they had been since the incident in which her sisters tore her apart emotionally. She had even begun to avoid Halt when they passed in the hallways and courtyard in Redmont. He started swaying in time with the music that still hadn't stopped and felt her moving with him. They moved in a wide circle and Halt was content to think of her as his.

**Wanna hold your hand forever**

Halt knew that he couldn't expect Will to play forever but he didn't want to release Pauline. She had been distancing herself from him because she sincerely felt herself not to be suitable for him. He was determined to make her think otherwise; if anything it should be the other way around he mused. They continued the slow movement and Halt glanced at Will who still seemed to be playing strong. As they passed by him Halt caught his attention and raised his eyebrow in an obvious question. Without missing a beat Will smiled and shook his head. He knew how much Halt wanted Pauline to feel better and he was perfectly fine with playing for as long as his mentor wanted him to. Halt nodded his thanks and Will turned back around. They continued quietly not looking at each other and Halt knew that she was going to start slipping away again if he didn't do anything.

**Never let you forget it**

Halt recalled the look he had seen in Pauline's eyes when he had backed out of their kiss. It had been brief but he had seen a flicker of acceptance as if she had finally seen that her sisters were wrong. As if she had come back to him and realized that they knew nothing. But they had cut her too deep with the words they had spoken and she had returned to the world of being worthless and undeserving. He felt a strong flow of anger course back into him as he realized how hurt she really had become because of her own flesh and blood relatives. Suddenly throwing them into the moat seemed to be too nice a punishment and Halt vowed that he would get even with them for this. But first he had to get Pauline to remember how much she was wanted.

**Yeah, I wanna make you feel wanted**

Halt hugged her closer to him so he could whisper into her ear. His soft and firm voice filled her ears and Halt felt her press her head into his chest and stopped moving in the circle that had been their course for quite some time. He kept whispering things he had wanted to tell her from the day of their wedding but never knew when. He wished to himself that they were getting through to her but he couldn't be sure.

**Anyone can tell you you're pretty/You get that all the time, I know you do/But your beauty's deeper than the makeup**

He finished his whispering but didn't start moving again; letting her process what he had said. His main point had been that she was wanted and that she was completely worthy for him and that if anybody should feel that they didn't deserve the other it should be him. He felt her stir several times and smiled. His final statement was that she was the most gorgeous thing he had seen and that if anybody thought she wasn't important and was useless than that person must be idiotic. Halt smiled again as a ghost of a smile came across her face. He knew quite a few nobles that had called her beautiful and had commented on her looks. Anybody could tell her that and it would mean nothing because she didn't care for any of them. Coming from Halt it meant everything to her; he wasn't one to judge on looks and she felt better than she had in days.

**And I wanna show you what I see tonight**

Halt smiled down at her. She was still clutching his neck and he was still holding her midriff. She was coming out of her cloud and he started moving around in the circle again while Will continued his seemingly endless music. He had switched from his original tune and was now playing a somewhat deeper melody. He led her around and around all the while looking down at her. All he saw was sheer beauty inside and out and wondered how she could ever believe her sisters.

**When I wrap you up**

Halt held her tighter as she pressed against his chest again. They continued to move and Halt felt Pauline seem to carry herself more surely. After a while she looked up at him and he saw the look back in her eyes that she had before. And this time it didn't fade. Halt smiled openly and held her closer than before. She returned the hug and Halt felt his spirit swell. Halt caught Will's attention again and raised his eyebrows. Will shook his head but Halt nodded. Pauline was coming back and he wanted time alone with her. Will smiled and stopped strumming his instrument and headed towards the door. Pauline stopped and Halt didn't try to make her move again.

**When I kiss your lips/I wanna make you feel wanted**  
She looked up at his face and smiled. She stood straighter and smiled at Halt. He smiled back and she closed the few centimeters that separated them. Halt didn't object to the touch of her lips against his. He kissed zealously and tried to do as he had done earlier and make her realize that she may not be wanted by stuck up sisters but she was wanted by the one who mattered.

**And I wanna call you mine**

They continued and Halt was relieved that Will had left earlier else he wouldn't have been able to continue for fear of embarrassment. They separated for a moment and Halt whispered again to her. She smiled at him and drew him back to her.

**Wanna hold your hand forever/Never let you forget it/'Cause baby I wanna make you feel wanted**

Halt held his wife as tight as he could. He knew one thing and that was that he never wanted to let go of her. It was one constant thought that surged through him as he kissed her uninterruptedly. Pauline returned his feelings and didn't let go of him even when he tried to pull back for a break she held him tight. Pauline knew she wouldn't forget what he had done for her. How he had made her feel loved and desired.

**As good as you make me feel/I wanna make you feel better/Better than your fairy tales/Better than your best dreams**

As Halt sustained the feeling of her lips on his he felt astounding. Pauline made him feel complete and indestructible and he knew if she had given up then he would have fallen apart quickly. He knew that the next time he met Pauline's sisters they'd better watch out because anybody who made him feel this great deserved to be treated as a queen and not a mutt. She retreated for a breath and Halt gazed into her eyes. He saw her old self there. Her eyes held pride, confidence and self-gratitude. He smiled and she returned it for a different reason. His was because he had succeeded in drawing her back and hers was for how he made her feel. She had always imagined her true love to be a knight in shining armor that would defend her against every slight thing. Instead she had found Halt. A grizzled man who loved her more than any knight could or would. Halt was more than anything she could conjure up in her mind.

**You're more than everything I need/You're all I ever wanted/All I ever wanted**

Halt smiled again at her. He couldn't think of anything in the world that he wanted more than Pauline right now. He knew he wouldn't have been the first pick of any lady and he had even expected to spend his days alone when Will left and he would have been fine with that. But he also knew that he would have thought about Pauline every day. He never expected to even get a date with her, much less marry her. He thought back on it and realized that she was everything he wanted and more. He would have thought that if anybody loved him it would be some peasant; never a beautiful courier as herself. And he would never have expected to be able to mean so much to her.

**And I just wanna wrap you up/Wanna kiss your lips/I wanna make you feel wanted/And I wanna call you mine/Wanna hold your hand forever/Never let you forget it/Yeah, I wanna make you feel wanted/Yeah, baby I wanna make you feel-wanted/'Cause you'll always be wanted**

Halt drew her in close and laid his lips on hers yet again. He made sure to let her know he loved her. When they separated for air he'd whisper sweet sayings in her ear and make her smile and hug him tighter. She knew now that the man she loved really loved her. Her sisters had always been keen on putting her down and she reprimanded herself for letting it get to her. She smiled and continued to enjoy the feeling of Halt's lips on hers.

**I myself wanted to upchuck after reading this...**


End file.
